Based on a book by Peter Brown, “The Wild Robot” depicts a robot named Roz that crashed in the middle of the forest. Her main goal throughout the movie is to raise a gosling, Brightbill, and teach him to survive and thrive on his own.
Although it seems like a children’s movie, “The Wild Robot” connects with people of all ages. The movie includes multiple themes, such as self-discovery, parenthood, and friendship. According to Linda Marric, a senior film critic for HeyUGuys, one of the most trusted and successful movie sites in the UK, “‘The Wild Robot’ is much more than just a survival story; it’s also a touching exploration of family, identity, and environmental stewardship.”
Typically, children’s movies are shown through the eyes of children, but “The Wild Robot” is shot through a mother’s eyes. When Roz finds Brightbill, she turns to another character and says, “But I don’t have the programming to be a mother,” a feeling all parents can relate to. As Roz raises Brightbill, she develops an emotional connection with him and struggles to let him fly away.
The highlight of the movie is Roz’s emotional growth. Because she is a robot and is not supposed to feel emotion, she struggles as she develops feelings for Brightbill and her friends. When she encounters another robot it says, “you’re not supposed to feel anything.” People might relate to the feeling of outgrowing their previous community and needing to figure out where they belong.
Additionally, it demonstrates diversity by including elements of disability. According to Mediaversity, an organization committed to diversifying on-screen representation, “Brightbill’s journey makes for a wonderful message on equity” wrote Gavin Spoors, a film writer and story designer. The movie also shows Roz’s struggles with her leg that was broken early in the movie when she crashed.
Director Chris Sanders incorporates disability into multiple movies. For example, he included disabilities in “How to Train your Dragon” with Toothless’s wing and Hiccup’s Leg. Sanders has directed many kids movies including, “Lilo and Stitch” as well as “The Croods.”
Along with a well-versed director, the movie has a lot of talent behind the voices. Lupita Nyong’o, the voice of Roz, is known for many roles including in “Black Panther” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Nyong’o uses a robotic voice for Roz, but adapts throughout the story by adding more tone and inflection to show Roz’s character development.
Good voice actors are crucial in animated movies because they make the audience able to connect and empathize with the characters. Other notable voices are Mark Hamill, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, and Ving Rhames.
The animation department is also incredibly talented. The visual style of the film deviates from a typical modern day children‘s movie because the art style mimics the illustrations of the book.
On an open platform for movie reviews, someone who refers to themselves as Regular Show wrote, “The animation feels like a moving painting, blending the richness of nature with the cold precision of technology.”
“The Wild Robot” has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Overall, the talent behind the voices, story-telling, and animation make this family movie one the whole family can actually enjoy.
